Sole Survivor II: Time Of Great Giving
by thesoutherncross100
Summary: Having served his two year banishment, Bryan Forbes returns to the Great Valley to rejoin his adoptive son. Upon returning, he finds himself dealing with a trio of bullies and a water shortage crisis. However, things start to get a little intense when hum
1. Introduction

**Introduction**

Two years ago, I travelled alongside my adoptive son Littlefoot, hoping to find safe haven in the form of the Great Valley. We've actually reached the valley and I even got the chance to enter. Long term stay was another story however. During the journey, Cera had insulted Littlefoot's late mother and she aggravated me to the point where I lost it and pummeled her.

Her father wasn't too pleased about this and demanded that I apologize. I refused to do so unless Cera apologized to Littlefoot for insulting his father. Triceratopses being Triceratopses, Topsy wanted save his daughter's face, more so than teach her a lesson in tolerance and he used the threat of two year banishment to pressure me. His tactic however, failed since I was quite the hardheaded individual.

No apology came from either side and Topsy went ahead with the sentence. Though Littlefoot's grandfather tried to plead against the sentence, I told him to let me serve since I deserved to be punished for not controlling my own emotions. Now two lonely years have passed and it was about time I returned to the Great Valley to be reunited with my son.


	2. Prologue

**Prologue**

 **Littlefoot:**

 _Before he left, Bryan, my adoptive father, told me his two year banishment would pass in a blink of an eye. How wrong was he. The first year passed slower than ever, and the second year didn't pick up much speed. I had my friends to play with me but, it's just not the same without dad. During our journey, he would always brighten up my day with his sarcasm and jokes._

 _Those were the main reasons Cera hated him but he fitted right in with me. Speaking of Cera, she has yet to apologize to me and it seems as though she had forgotten about the insult herself. I too would've forgot about it had the thought of dad not come through my head. Whatever, dad will get her to apologize once he gets back. For now I'll just have to suck it up and tough through._

 _Winter has already come and gone twice in the mysterious beyond and everyone knows the "cold" only comes once every year. That meant two years have passed and dad was free to come whenever he pleased. Every day I would wait anxiously near the entrance for dad but he never came. Days turn into weeks, weeks into months. Half the year has gone by and still, he was nowhere to be found._

 _My heart began to worry. Did he die out there during his banishment? And if so, where was his body? No, he couldn't have died. If Bryan did die, then why are the stories of a "weapon wielding being" still being passed around? And why are there bodies of dead predators found with bullet holes in them? All my friends have given up on him returning._

 _Even my grandparents were starting to lose hope of him returning. Topsy did too and I guess the only plus side to this would be Topsy and Grandpa agreeing on something for the first time. In two years' time, several newcomers have made themselves home in the Great Valley. Among them was an Amargasaurus by the name of Caz who was two years my senior. Funnily enough, I was actually bigger and taller than him. Heck, even his parents were smaller than me._

 _I'm sure dad will get the surprise of his life when he finds his adoptive son bigger than an adult Amargasaurus(we call them Sailnecks because of the sail on their backs). Despite our size differences, Caz and I were good friends, very close friends. There were times where I would decline the offer to join my gang just to join him on his adventures. He was older than me and his mind was more matured._

 _Me and my gang would usually play tag or hide and seek but Caz, oh he did not like those types of games. He preferred something a bit more on the adventurous side. While the adults attended meetings, the two of us would sneak out right under their noses to explore the area surrounding the Great Valley. We had a few run ins with predators but thanks to the tactics dad taught me, we usually thwarted their attacks._

 _Today however, we weren't going out to explore. Story time had been scheduled tonight and the speaker was none other than grandpa himself. Unless I wanted to offend my grandpa, I'd better not skip this session. Some might say I still had plenty of time to explore the land with Caz since it was still morning but our trips into the beyond was always full of unknowns._

 _On good days we would be in and out within half a day(because we loved to lag back and enjoy the scenery)but on bad days when we encountered predators, we could be out there for an entire day, not returning until early next morning before dawn arrived. Caz had told his parents he was attending the session as well and if we got stuck out there, the adults would almost certainly come looking._

 _When darkness fell, we all gathered near the glowing cracks. Volcanic hue emitted from the cracks created the perfect atmosphere for night time stories, be they scary or full of wisdom. Grandpa was a little late but he did make it to story night and all of us gathered near the fire as he began his story. It was titled "The Lone Commando". At first I had no idea what it meant but when he delves into the details, I knew exactly what the story was about._

 ** _"_** ** _Two cold years ago…"_** _he began._ _ **"Our herd faced its greatest threat yet; Sharptooth himself. Despite outnumbering him, we were unable to defeat him. Five young children of the Great Valley were trapped on top of a ledge, pinned down by Sharptooth and we the adults were struggling just to keep ourselves alive."**_

 ** _"_** ** _My mother told me about Sharptooth before."_** _a young Apatosaurus by the name of Patricia asked. She was roughly two years my junior if I'm not mistaken._ _ **"He was a big meanie."**_

 ** _"_** ** _More than that!"_** _Caz chimed in._ _ **"My father told me he did not care who he killed, even if the ones he killed were his own family members."**_

 ** _"_** ** _Yes."_** _Grandpa nodded._ _ **"We were on the verge of total annihilation when suddenly, and unexpectedly, a big boom appeared on Sharptooth's chest. All of us including him were caught off guard and we backed away while Sharptooth spun towards his left and snarled. Another boom, this time near his neck. This big boom destroyed his windpipe and almost everything inside his neck. He coughed and fell into the water, dead from his injuries."**_

 ** _"_** ** _Did you ever get to see the lone commando?"_** _Caz curiously questioned._

 ** _"_** ** _As a matter of fact, I did."_**

 ** _"_** ** _How did he look like?"_**

 ** _"_** ** _He wasn't big but he did not fight like we do. He made his own weapons and fought at distance. Unlike us, he was more dangerous at range."_**

 ** _"_** ** _What happened to him though?"_** _Bronson, a male Triceratops sitting beside Cera asked._ _ **"Because I don't see him anywhere."**_

 ** _"_** ** _Later we found out he had been accompanying and protecting those five children during their journey to the Great Valley."_** _Grandpa explained._ _ **"Some of the children told us he had given one of them a beating. He confessed and we had no choice but to banish him. He hasn't returned since."**_

 _Caz glared at me. He knew I had an adoptive father who somewhat fitted the description of the "Lone Commando" and he was curious whether I knew about him. I lied and told him I didn't since I didn't want dad's identity to be leaked out so quickly. Then, Grandma arrived at the scene. By now it was getting late and the young ones ought to be sleeping, not up listening to stories or as she put it, listening to nonsense._

* * *

It was already late night yet I was still on the move. Yes, I really should be stopping but I couldn't. I had promised Littlefoot that I would return in two years and right now, half a year has gone. Ahead of me, I could see the secondary entrance to the Great Valley and I figured I would camp out in the woods for the night before moving on the next day.

 **"** **Ow…!"** I groaned. **"God! I forgot that!"**

Bloody bollox, that wound I had suffered still stung. What wound am I talking about? On my back was a slash mark, exactly four inches long. A few days ago I had been ambushed by a pack of Deinonychuses and I barely made it out alive. They caught me off guard at close range and I was forced to fight them off using only my bare hands. It was tough, but I managed it.

Making a small campfire, and using my OKC-3S bayonet to clear some of the foliage, I made myself an emergency campsite. One final night, might as well make it comfy.


	3. Reunited

**Chapter 1**

 **Reunited**

 **Littlefoot:**

 _Today I woke up before the Bright Circle even rose over the horizon. It was still dark yet I didn't have the mood to sleep. I didn't even feel like going for a walk or anything. Last night I had a horrible dream where Bryan died right in front of me, dead at the hands of fast biters. There was no mistaking his identity in my dream. He was still clutching his M4A1 when he died and I could see blood flowing from multiple slash wounds._

 _It was a horrible dream to say the least and my heart is still thumping rapidly from the shock. Thoughts about his death raced through my mind. Grandpa once told me dreams could serve two purposes. One was to remind us of who we really are and to remind us of who we should fear or hold dear to. The other purpose was as a metaphor, giving us a view of the future and warning us about dangers and who might perish._

 _In both instances, dreams were identical. That meant if I dreamed about dad dying, it could just be my mind reminding me who I missed and who I hold dear to, or it could mean dad would die in the near future or has died already. I could only hope that wasn't the case but everyone knows how unfair the circle of life could be. If he did pass on then I should just deal with it._

 _At least I still had my grandparents. Others, like Patricia for example, were orphans with absolutely no one to turn to, not even grandparents or distant relatives. Speaking of Patricia, I should probably tell you about her sad story. Before she came here, Patricia was part of a massive herd. That herd was comprised of her family members. Yes, her family was large enough to form a herd._

 _Her grandparents led the way while her uncle, aunts and nieces made up the rear guard. Flanking her were her parents. Six young ones travelled with the herd including her. Two of them were her older brother and younger sister while the remainders were her nephews and cousins. Like me, her herd encountered Sharptooth but her encounter was much worse. My mother knew how to deal with predators since we've encountered more than a few in the past but her family was different._

 _Neither of them had any real experience when it came to actual flesh feeders since the only intruders they dealt with were harassing Struthiomimuses and small Velociraptors. When Sharptooth came all of them were caught off guard. The first to go down was one of her nieces, quickly followed by her uncle. Her parents and grandparents formed a defensive square around the young ones while the remainder fought Sharptooth._

 _As we all know, Sharptooth was unstoppable till my adoptive father came around and the ending was predictable. One by one the adults were slaughtered with no chance of survival. In her dying breath, Patricia's mother shouted for the young ones to run and they all ran in separate ways. Fortunately for Patricia, she found a cave to seek shelter but that didn't give her much comfort._

 _Standing a safe distance from the mouth of the cave, she watched as her siblings, nephews, and cousins were brutally slaughtered by Sharptooth. He glared in the direction of the cave and snarled, presumably to tell her she was merely lucky and that he would return one day. He never did however. After his confrontation with her herd, Sharptooth went after my friends and I, and that was where he met his end, at the hands of Bryan and his M203._

 _…_

 _Dawn finally arrived, and my friends came to me in the hopes of dragging me into their games. I refused however, still unable to overcome the thoughts. Caz came as well but I refused his offer to go exploring as well. Grandma, who happened to be lying next to me at the time, told them I needed some alone time. Well, my mind told me I did and I decided to take a stroll on my own near the entrance of the Great Valley._

 _My mind was still filled with darkness and I did not know who to talk to apart from my grandparents. Before I left the area where I stayed, Grandma suggested that I play with my friends to clear my thoughts but I declined her offer. Right now I really didn't have the mood to play or talk for that matter. Surprise surprise, a few minutes of walking later and I bumped into my friends._

 _They were playing a new game called "The Lone Commando" after hearing Grandpa's story last night. While neither of them were humans, they tried their best to imitate my adoptive father. Cera was Sharptooth(as usual)while Caz(he had joined them since I wasn't up for exploring)was the "Lone Commando". Before they could start however, three teenage residents of the Great Valley approached them._

 _Those three were Hyp, Mutt, and Nod. They were the resident bullies of the Great Valley and my friends and I have been bullied a few times by them already. Fortunately for me, I wasn't with them and thus, they left me alone on this instance. I tell you this, fate seems to love stacking one bad event with another. Barely a few seconds after the bullies arrived, a few hisses and snarls caught our attention._

 _Deinonychus snarls! Why were they so darn close to the valley entrance? I rejoined my friends since predators usually avoided herds if they could but they kept coming. Five Deinonychuses emerged from the bushes and cornered us and the bullies near a boulder. We were dead meat it seems but suddenly, gunshots rang out from behind them._

 _Down went one of the fast biters while the surviving four swung around. A human had come on the scene and he downs another one of them before they could react. The three survivors charged him but he kills one with his pistol and stabs another with his bayonet. The last one attempted to slash him but he dodges and tackles the meat eater to the ground before breaking its neck._

 _He swiftly got back onto his feet and glared at us. Scars were visible on his face and he looked rugged in a way. Something clicked in my mind. Was he Bryan?_

 ** _"_** ** _The beyond is a dangerous place to be in."_** _he said in a voice very familiar to me._ _ **"It ain't no place to be playing a game in."**_

 _No mistake, this human was my adoptive father. I'm pretty sure of that!_

 ** _"_** ** _Dad?"_** _I said to him._

 ** _"_** ** _By god…"_** _his jaw nearly dropped._ _ **"Littlefoot!"**_

* * *

Oh did I tell you how good it was for me to see my adoptive son again. Tears were welling up in my eyes. He had grown so much since we've last met! Before, he and I were of equal height but now, he was way taller than me, 3.39 meters to be exact. He ran towards me when I said his name and before I knew it, I was flat on the ground being licked by a familiar family member.

My back ached due to the slash wound I've suffered but our reunion temporarily suppressed the pain. Beside me and Littlefoot, several young dinosaurs flanked us. Four of the younglings were Littlefoot's friends and old acquaintances I knew but the rest were newcomers. Littlefoot introduced me to the newcomers; they were Caz the Amargasaurus, Patricia the Apatosaurus, and Bronson the Triceratops.

Cera approached me and lowered her head, guilt evident on her face. She apologized to me for insulting Littlefoot's mother. Ugh… Cera. You didn't hurt my emotions, you hurt Littlefoot's. You've done nothing wrong to me; you shouldn't be apologizing to me.

 **"** **Err…"** I raised an eyebrow. **"You do realize you're apologizing to the wrong guy here, right?"**

 **"** **Oh, right…"** she turns towards Littlefoot. **"I'm sorry; I take back what I've said about your mother."**

 **"** **It's okay."** He answered.

 **"** **And I apologize for pummeling you. I should've controlled my emotions."**

Our differences settled on reunion day one, I think it's for the best of us. The past is the past and getting it over with would prevent old sins from interfering with our future. As I got back up with Littlefoot's assistance, I noticed three teenage dinosaurs moving away. Who were they? I knew their species at least(a Hypsilophodon, a Muttaburrasaurus, and a Nodosaurus)but what were their names?

Littlefoot about them and their names. He also told me they've bullied him and his friends a couple o' times already. I'm surprised. Even with someone as hard-headed and strong willed as Cera in the group, they still dare to touch the young ones. Well, since I'm back I might as well deal with the nuisance group before getting some peace. We headed back into the Great Valley where the others, including Topsy got a surprise of their lives.

Neither of them expected me to live through the sentence but here I was, standing defiantly in front of them. No time to chat though, I had to catch up with my adoptive son for some father-son time. Despite having adopted him two years ago, I've never really gotten the chance to spend proper time with him. All we ever did was travel together to the Great Valley, and I never even joined him in the valley until now.


	4. Dealing With Bullies

**Chapter 2**

 **Dealing With Bullies**

During my younger years I too had to deal with bullies. When I was thirteen and just starting to get into high school, I've bumped into wrong people. They've bullied me and extorted money from me. But one thing became clear to me. Bullies may look strong on the outside, but they're extremely weak on the inside. All you have to do is not get dominated by them. That means ignoring them completely or turning the tables around.

Ignoring them isn't the most effective way since they are most likely to latch onto you for a while before going after someone else. Turning the tables on them and showing them you're not weak however, is quick and sometimes way more effective. The old fashioned way is to simply get backup but dominance can also be used. I only really used the old fashioned way while in high school since there were rules in play.

But if there weren't any rules, I'd probably go for dominance and punch the living daylights out of them. What about dealing with individuals who extort cash from you? For that, just ignore them or just tell them to go to hell. Sooner or later they'll find their "lucrative cash flow" cut off and will leave you alone. Then again, dominance works just fine if rules don't apply.

Out here in the Great Valley, on a planet far far away from human civilization, I never thought bullies would exist but apparently they do. After settling down near the place where Littlefoot stayed, I decide to join him for a little game of local style soccer, or should I say "the coconut game". The rules were simple, two teams with equal members on each side, to win simply kick the coconut to the opponent's goal. Due to us having odd numbers of individuals, we decide to let Cera's team have four while my team had three.

Sounds simple enough, let's play. For extra mobility, I left most of my gear including my M4A1 Carbine in a footlocker I had recently replicated and set down in the place where I would stay. All I wore was a white T-shirt, my usual long pants(the same MARPAT one I wore during the journey to the Great Valley), a battle belt, and my trusty ole' G-Code XST RTI holster with a battle belt adaptor where I kept my Sphinx SDP pistol.

Due to his size, Littlefoot was the goal keeper while I, owing to my mobility, was the striker. Defense wise Caz was our defender. On the other side, Cera was the striker while Patricia served as the goal keeper. Spike was their defender. Bruce, being the fourth member of their team, was their bonus striker. Ducky and Petrie served as our referees. Cera surprised all of us with her aggressive tactics and she quickly scores the first goal of the day. I followed up with the game tying second goal.

The game was neck and neck despite her team's advantage in numbers. Spike was slow when it came to reaction and Bruce lacked the experience Cera had. The only thing keeping her team alive was Patricia and Cera herself. On my side things were a little better. I was the striker and since I had plenty of experience playing soccer with my friends in the past, I knew a thing or two about tactics.

A little deception was all it took for me to throw everyone on the opposing team off and I scored the third goal of the game. One point advantage for us. Patricia grabbed the coconut and was about to kick when Cera told her she wanted to kick. Being less experienced, the female Apatosaurus allowed her Triceratops counterpart to kick and Cera did so. The coconut flew right over our heads, soaring beyond the goal and landing in a cluster of bushes.

Littlefoot volunteered to retrieve the coconut and he ran towards the bushes. It was here where he came face to face with the three bullies harassing his friends earlier. All of us took note and we approached Hyp and his cronies. We may outnumber them, but they weren't fazed, not until I stepped up at least.

 **"** **Oh look."** Hyp grinned. **"Littlefoot's adoptive father is back. How is that two years sentence?"**

 **"** **First of all, it's not "is" it's "was"."** I sarcastically corrected. **"Second of all, the banishment was a great way for me to hone my skills. Especially against little punks like you."**

 **"** **You don't scare me."**

 **"** **It was never my intention either."**

 **"** **Stay out of this, Old Man."**

 **"** **Better watch that mouth of yours. 'Cause this old man will whoop your ass and make you cry for your mother."**

Hyp threw a kick at me but I deflect his attack and counter with several punches to his chest. A kick of my own I gave and he goes down like a tree after being chainsawed. That punk wasn't ready to give up though, he was quite persistent. Every time he went down, he would get back up and attempt another one of his puny moves. No problem for me. He was a great outlet for me to let off my steam.

His buddies tried to help too but I fought them off without issue as well. At the tail end of the fight, I drew my Sphinx SDP pistol and placed the muzzle against Hyp's chin.

 **"** **So who's the old man now?"** I taunted.

 **"** **Fine!"** He nervously responded. **"You win!"**

 **"** **Harass my son again and you won't see the light of day. Get out of town, all three of you!"**

There was no hesitation. All three of them took off running as soon as I backed away, my gun still drawn. Littlefoot came up to my side while I placed my pistol back in my holster. He nudges me and motions towards all of his friends, who were now glaring at me. It was clear, all of them had some questions they wanted to ask.

 **"** **Are you the Lone Commando they talk about?"** Caz asked curiously.

 **"** **Lone commando?"** I raised my eyebrow.

 **"** **Littlefoot's grandfather told us about him last night."** Patricia explained. **"And the way you took down Hyp and saved us from the fast biters earlier fitted that description."**

 **"** **Frankly I'm not. I'm just a cold blooded guy who still has a conscience."**

What bloody nonsense was that? The "Lone Commando"? What sort of story did ole' Gramps cook up last night? Well, I couldn't care much about it. Those bullies had ruined my mood and now I wasn't really up for games. I figured I would continue my genetics research at the cabin. What cabin you ask? Well, my particle accelerator could do wonders for me. One of them was building a cozy mid-sized cabin for me to make myself more at home.

It wasn't really a homey type cabin. There was only a bed for one upstairs, a small pseudo living room-study area of sorts on the bottom floor along with a small kitchen, and one single toilet which can be accessed via a door in the living room. Seems like a lot of wasted space don't it? Like I said, it wasn't a homey type cabin. Most of the space was occupied with science equipment. There was also an underground area where all the science work was done.

Adjacent to the cabin was a small garage like structure. This was also part of my lab, and this portion was where I do most of my genetics work. On the front porch was a clothes hangar where I hung all the wet clothes to be dried by Mother Nature. Some might be wondering where electricity would come from. Truth be told, I was the first human to have ever created an antimatter reactor core, a miniaturized one at that.

Compared to the Tokamak Fusion Reactors of old, it generated more power and less heat, and was safer. If there ever was an antimatter breach, I had a perfected system of force fields to contain it until I could fix the issue. It was also located underground, behind some serious security doors I had replicated with the particle accelerator. Kind of hard to imagine a vodka bottle sized object doing such marvelous work but that's the wonder of science for ya.

Some might be wondering if Littlefoot ever slept in the cabin before and my answer is a resounding no. I didn't even sleep in there often. In fact, I usually spend might nights sleeping outside on a hammock I've made at the tree where Littlefoot slept under. The bed in the cabin was only there to give it a homey touch and the only times I've ever slept there was when I felt like taking a nap.


	5. Water Shortage

**Chapter 3**

 **Water Shortage**

Water shortage, a problem a lot of people had to deal with back on Earth. Out here there weren't any warlords or dictators controlling our precious supply of fluids, and everyone had free flowing water to enjoy. The Thundering Falls(the main waterfall of the Great Valley)supplied a near indefinite amount of water for all to drink, so much that, and I quote: "There was more fresh water than anyone could ever drink."

But sometimes, even the Great Valley had to be reminded of the outside world. One day, while I was conducted research on a new species known as Razers, the early warning system blared and the red warning lights started flashing. What was going on? Visitors from another planet? Despite wearing white scientist shirts, I still wore my battle belt, and usual long pants. Yes I carried my Sphinx SDP wherever I went, even the lab.

I ran out of the cabin and looked up. To my horror, several meteors were shrieking overhead. Were those the same ones that nearly wiped out all life on Cretaceous Era Earth? No time to think about it. I rushed out and ushered Littlefoot into the cabin and down underground. It was a tight fit for him since he was around 3.39 meters at this point, almost as tall as the ceiling.

We waited, and waited, and waited… Nothing. No boom. Was it a false alarm? I told Littlefoot to stay while I headed towards the exit of the underground lab. As I opened the door, I expected dust to greet me but everything was as clear as day. No dust, not even trembling.

 **"** **False alarm!"** I shouted.

Both of us made our way out of the cabin and joined the others near the meeting place. Everyone was shocked and confused, even I was. I scanned the ridgeline with a pair of binoculars in the hopes of finding where the meteors land. I found nothing. While the adults began discussing their next course of action, Littlefoot and the rest of his friends gathered round me while I explained what those "flying rocks" were.

 **"** **They are called meteors."** I said. **"Those flying rocks of yours don't come from the land around here. They come from space."**

 **"** **The place where you come from."** Cera improperly assumed.

 **"** **No, I come from Earth. I just travelled here from Space."**

 **"** **Will they do anything?"** Caz asked.

 **"** **Sixty five million years ago, meteors struck Earth, the planet where I come from. Back then, it too was inhabited by dinosaurs. The meteor wasn't exactly big, but it wiped out nearly all life including most of the dinosaurs. Some creatures and dinosaurs survived but the dinos died out later due to lack of food."**

The younglings gasped in horror. I could clearly see the expression of fear on their faces, quite amusing to say the least.

 **"** **Don't worry."** I reassured them. **"That event on your planet is long gone. The meteor which was supposed to destroy you crashed into my ship and broke up. It busted my ship but hey, you're alive and so am I."**

 **"** **Good to know…"** Littlefoot muttered.

Despite the danger having passed, I wanted to see for myself what the meteors had done. Thus, I returned to my cabin and donned my gear. Since I wasn't expecting any resistance, I left the heavy gear behind, only wearing my white T-shirt, battle belt with five SA58 magazine pouches, my G-Code XST RTI holster which I kept my Sphinx SDP pistol, and two pistol magazine pouches. Weapon wise I grabbed a newly replicated SA58 Paratrooper Carbine which I dubbed my "Patrol Rifle" and slung it in an Over Strong Shoulder Reverse Carry Position with the rifle on my back.

Decked out and ready to go. I informed the adults of my intentions and left for the entrance. Nothing on either of the entrances and I figured I would get myself a better vantage point. There was a ledge on the highest peak of the ridge surrounding the Great Valley that once served as a lookout point. But a storm destroyed the path leading to the ledge and now there was no way to get up there.

Like that's going to dissuade me. I followed the old path and found myself standing near where the damage was done. Boulders falling down from the cliff during the storm had destroyed the road and now the only way across was an itty bitty tiny little ledge on the side of the cliff. I was a tad bit nervous about crossing. Sure, I could climb a tree without much issue but how tall could a climbable tree be? The worse that could happen if I fell was a broken shoulder.

If I fell down from the ledge? I would die from the sudden stop at the bottom. Nevertheless, I pushed myself and crossed the ledge, almost shitting myself in the process. Over and done with, I made my way up the ridge and found myself at the tallest peak in about half an hour. The whole journey was worth it. Up here, you could see for miles.

On one side, the Great Valley and its lush greenery, and on the other side was the desolate landscape of the mysterious beyond. I raised my binoculars and scanned the area, hoping to find the meteorites. I did found them, along with the damage they've caused. When the meteors crashed, they caused boulders to collapse onto the water channel feeding the Thundering Falls.

From my vantage point, I could see the falls has long since dried up on top. Better check the bottom Bryan. I made my way back to the foot of the Thundering Falls and found, as expected, that it had stopped flowing. Everyone including the young ones were shocked and they were chatting amongst themselves. I stood on top of a boulder and fired my pistol twice in the air to get their attention.

 **"** **I went for a walk and I figured out the issue."** I raised my voice. **"After the meteors have struck, a rock slide blocked the water channel feeding the Thundering Falls. If we want our supply of water to return, our best bet is to clear the boulders."**

 **"** **Where are the rocks located?"** ole' Gramps asked me.

 **"** **Out in the beyond. I know the way."**

 **"** **But we can't go back out there!"** Ducky's mother exclaimed. **"Beyond the walls live… Sharpteeth!"**

God I… Ugh! It's just a short walk, a little pushing, and we're back in business. How bad could it be?

 **"** **So you're going to stay here and what?"** I said frustratedly. **"Sit here and kill yourselves from dehydration?"**

 **"** **We can wait."** An Anklyosaurus by the name of Kosh spoke. **"Skywater will fall soon enough and it'll most likely wash the rocks away."**

 **"** **Yeah, and by then a bloody forest fire would've destroyed this wonderful land we live in. GOD why is everyone so dense?"**

Those words were muttered in frustration. I left the area where I stood and headed back to the cabin. If they wanted to stay thirsty then so be it.

* * *

 **Littlefoot:**

 _This was the first time I've seen dad being so worked up about a crisis, a pretty clear indication of how dire it was. He might've been over reacting but it's better safe than sorry to tell you the truth. I'd much rather take a risk and clear those rocks than wait for a miracle to happen. Kosh's words really got on his nerves, I could see it in his eyes. The way he stormed off after the rant at the end made me wonder. Could we trust Mother Nature like he said?_

 _I headed back to the cabin where dad stayed with the rest of my friends. We found him sticking a piece of paper on two wooden sticks. Behind the wooden sticks was a grey wall. Without warning, he raised and fired his patrol rifle at the paper, punching several holes in it and making a lot of noise. All of us were caught off guard and when the firing stopped, our ears were ringing._

 _He didn't seem to notice us however and loaded another magazine into the rifle. This time we were prepared and all of us moved back while he unleashed yet more bullets into the paper target. When he was done with this magazine, he lowered his rifle and sat down on the stairs at the front porch of his house. Bryan covered his face with his hands, something was clearly bothering him._

 _All of us approached him, but he didn't seem to notice._

 ** _"_** ** _Dad?"_** _I said to him._ _ **"Are you okay?"**_

 ** _"_** ** _Do I look like I'm okay?"_** _he responded._ _ **"I'm not okay, and the way their mind works is not okay."**_

 ** _"_** ** _But my mother was right."_** _Ducky defended her mother's words._ _ **"We can't go back out there. Sharpteeth live in the mysterious beyond."**_

 ** _"_** ** _So we're just going to stay here and die from dehydration?"_** _he asked._ _ **"All of the residents have grown complacent. Last time when I yelled for backup nearly all of them came, but now, everyone says no because of predators."**_

 ** _"_** ** _You called for backup?"_** _Caz asked._

 ** _"_** ** _Two years ago, Littlefoot and his band of friends were travelling to the Great Valley. I accompanied them. After a brief fight, Cera and the others left us. Littlefoot and I reached the valley but both of us realized we had to go back for them. So I ran down here to call for backup while Littlefoot rushed back towards his friends. All I had to do was mutter three of their names and everyone rallied behind me."_**

 ** _"_** ** _So you ARE the lone commando."_**

 ** _"_** ** _Touché."_**

 ** _"_** ** _Dad."_** _I said._ _ **"The reason they rallied behind you was because WE, their children, were in danger. If we weren't out there, I don't think any of them would come back out."**_

 ** _"_** ** _Littlefoot, you might be right but, there wasn't any hesitation. If this happened two years ago, the might've come out as well."_** _He sighed._ _ **"Just go play for now. I'll catch up with you guys later."**_

 ** _"_** ** _What are you doing?"_** _Patricia asked._

 ** _"_** ** _Might as well cook me up some C4."_**

 _Without further words, dad got up and entered his cabin. I was dumbfounded. Did dad seriously say he was going to make C4 grade explosives? He had told me before what those were. They were extremely stable high explosives used for demolition work. According to him, a few sticks of these would be enough to blow a hole through the walls of the Great Valley._

 _If he wanted to make C4 explosives, then he must be preparing to go out alone. Well, I didn't think too much despite the fact that I was dumbfounded at first. My friends shouted to me and I took off after them._


	6. Conscience

**Chapter 4**

 **Conscience**

Three bricks of C4 high explosives, should be enough to clear the fallen rocks and boulders. I bundled them together with some good old duct tape and placed them in one of my SA58 magazine pouches before slinging my SA58 in an Over Strong Shoulder Carry position. It was late afternoon and I figured I would be in and out within a matter of hours.

Before leaving, I chambered a fresh cartridge into my rifle and flicked the selector to fire. Since the adults were having a meeting, I figured I would stop by and listen to a few of their words before leaving. When I arrived at the meeting area, the adults happened to be discussing what their next course of action was. With their main water source cut off, they needed to conserve water for quite some time.

To tell you the truth, their little discussion was more of an argument. Topsy was throwing accusations left and right about the others wasting water, sparking a wildfire of angry replies. I couldn't help but imagine what might happen if diplomatic talks ended like this. Humans would be thrown into nuclear war a lot quicker if our diplomatic talks always spiraled into arguments.

While I thought they were all bonkers(we could just go out and get our water supply going again), I figured I would chime in and fired my pistol twice in the air to gather their attention.

 **"** **Listen."** I said after climbing on top of a boulder. **"Arguing like this is never going to work. If you want to settle this, all of you better start acting more civilized."**

 **"** **Are you calling us uncivilized, human?"** Topsy scowled at me.

 **"** **The way you acted made me think you're all uncivilized, especially you Topsy. What was that? Throwing accusations at others without proof? Personally I've seen your kind drink a lot more water than the others."**

The others nodded in agreement to my statement but just they wait. I too, a few words I wanted to say about them.

 **"** **And Kosh."** I spun towards the Anklyosaurus. **"If an asshole gives you a remark like that. Ignore him/her, and try to forget about it. Response can usually heat things up."**

 **"** **What is your suggestion then, human?"** Topsy asked.

 **"** **Like you would actually listen to my suggestion."** I grabbed my bundle of C4 and waved it for all. **"Since none of you are willing to go back out there, I'm blowing the blockage sky high with C4 explosives."**

 **"** **WHAT?"** they all exclaimed.

 **"** **You're crazy!"** Ducky's Mother exclaimed. **"Two years banishment and you're still willing to leave?"**

 **"** **I'm doing what's best for the valley. If you excuse me, I have to greet Littlefoot goodbye."**

The mere mention of my adoptive son's name got the adults worked up. Ever since they've started their meeting, they had no idea where their children went. Neither of us had any idea where the young ones were but the sound of laughter caught our attention and we all followed the sound. We found them just as a shout came through, followed by the sight of Littlefoot splashing in the water.

To the adults, it seems as though the young Apatosaurus was wasting water but my sharp eyes caught something else. While they gathered round the young ones, I confronted Hyp and his cronies on top of a raised portion of land, quickly gathering the adults' attention.

 **"** **Where do you think you're going?"** I raised my pistol. **"Eh? Running away like a coward."**

 **"** **You're not going to use it on me."** Hyp shot back.

 _BANG_

A 9mm caliber projectile strikes the ground a few feet away from Hyp. That was my warning shot. I also shot to make a point, to let him know that I will not hesitate should he threaten me.

 **"** **Threaten me all you want."** Hyp taunted. **"You don't scare me. You may have a weapon, but you'll never use it in front of the adults."**

 **"** **Stand down!"** I steadied my pistol.

Hyp never bothered to listen, and he started advancing towards me. I gave him one final warning and counted three times aloud. Still he kept coming and since he was a clear threat, I had no choice but to open fire. I intentionally aimed for a non-lethal hit and my bullet struck him in the left shoulder.

One shot was all I needed. His cronies took off running, not even bothering about their leader. I stood there, my gun still pointed at Hyp while he stumbled backwards from the pain. Behind him the adults and children gasped in shock. The smell of gunpowder filled the air. Near my right leg was a shell casing that had been ejected from my Sphinx SDP pistol.

 **"** **Littlefoot."** I shouted. **"You and your friends run to the hammock where I sleep. Near it, you will find a green footlocker. Open that and you'll find a medical kit next to my M4A1. Bring it to me."**

Between the time Littlefoot and his gang of friends left and the time they've returned, there was an awkward silence. No one talked and I kept my gun leveled at Hyp while he sat down and groaned, the sting from the injury overcoming him. Littlefoot trotted alongside me and gave me the medical kit(he grabbed it with his mouth). I decocked my pistol and holstered it before cautiously advancing on Hyp.

 **"** **Despite what you might think,"** I drew a flick knife and a pair of tweezers. **"I still have a conscience."**

I plied the 9mm bullet out of Hyp's shoulder and applied some bandage over the wound along with antiseptics. Using the flick knife as a cutting tool, I cut off the extras and patched the wound, stopping the bleeding.

 **"** **Take this as a warning."** I repacked everything into the medical kit and clutched the pistol grip of my Patrol Rifle. **"Bully my son again, and I'll put a bullet in your hands."**

Hyp got back onto his feet and walked back to his father, who was glaring at him angrily. Looks like they are going to have a little chat together. I and Littlefoot returned to the adults along with the rest of his friends. Topsy, who had mistakenly accused Littlefoot of wasting water apologized and we cleared up all misunderstandings. The adults made their decision, water rationing was a go.

According to the schedule, Aklyosauruses and Iguanodons would drink at dawn, Hadrosaurs would drink in the morning, Sauropods in the afternoon, Ceratopsians in the evening, and the others before night. I was excluded since I had my own water supply system in reserve should situations like these happen. That being said, I was still going to proceed with my plan to clear the boulders with C4 explosives.

 **"** **I'll be back in a flash."** I said to them.


	7. Ambushed

**Chapter 5**

 **Ambushed**

As I went out into the mysterious beyond, little would I know I was about to make first contact with a totally new species. I clutched my rifle and began walking towards the area where the blockage was. Suddenly, a bullet whizzed over my head, followed by the sound of gunshot report. Three more came in quick succession, forcing me to take cover behind a tree.

Suddenly, I felt a gun barrel against my head. Great, we've already had a water crisis, now what?

 **"** **Tell me where the Great Valley is."** A male humanoid creature demanded. **"Don't make me shoot you."**

 **"** **I ain't telling nobody."** I answered. **"Not unless they introduce themselves."**

 **"** **Name's Adler, now are you happy?"**

 **"** **There are a few simple criteria I need to know before I tell you."**

 **"** **Speak."**

 **"** **Why do you want to find the Great Valley, are you going to move there or attack it, and most importantly, who the hell are you? I thought I was the only surviving human."**

 **"** **We are Razers, creatures very much like you humans. We want to find the Great Valley because we know dinosaurs can never coexist with advanced beings like us. Yes, we are going to attack the Great Valley."**

 **"** **With what amount of force."**

 **"** **Roughly sixty gun armed Razers. Everyone will have a rifle of at least .308 caliber. I'm with the lead element of four. We are the scouts."**

Just four men, should be no issue for me. I sharply spun around and disarmed Adler of his shotgun before blasting him in the head. At once, three guns lit up my position and bullets whizzed all around me. I raised my SA58 and began firing back at where I saw muzzle flashes. Judging by the gunshot reports, I could identify the caliber of their rifles; .223 Remington.

My Patrol Rifle fired a bigger bullet, 7.62x51 NATO. From previous experience, I knew the bullet could penetrate trees and foliage just fine and I simply fired where I thought the enemy might be hiding. One by one, the muzzle flashes stopped and when I ran up to where my enemies were positioned, I found their bodies. More shouts came from the distance.

There was no way I was disengaging now. The entrance wasn't far and these Razers probably knew the land better than I did. Since I knew it was going to be a long fight, I grabbed one of my enemies' weapons to be used against them. It looked vaguely like an AR-15 and fired a .223 cartridge but its magazine design was straight off a Kalashnikov rifle.

Quite an odd looking rifle but there was no time to care about the looks. Barely a few minutes later and I made contact with the rest of the Razers. Unlike what I had predicted earlier, the Razers had no idea where they were going and they were relying on this map of theirs. I decide to lay a hasty ambush and I got into position behind some foliage. Due to my limited manpower and weapons, I was left with two options to initiate the ambush.

One was to initiate it with my captured rifle since it was a closed bolt design while the other was to simply C4 the buggers. Since they had no idea what bundles of C4 looked like, concealment was not necessary since I want to use their curiosity to draw them to the biggest bang of their life. I carefully connected the C4 to some det cord and laid it right in their predicted path of movement.

Roughly five to ten seconds later, they came through. They quickly spot the "odd object" on the ground and gathered round to investigate. Bye bye suckers, here comes the Big Bang Theory.

 _BOOM_

Oh yeah! I love big booms. Those buggers were torn apart by the explosion. Body parts were everywhere and wounded lay on the ground screaming for their mothers. The survivors panicked and gathered in a cluster. It was a machine gunner's wet dream but I had no machine gun. The Mutant gun I had however did have a fun switch and the dead guy did have a couple of AK style drums.

With a rocking action, I loaded the drum into the mutant select fire rifle and unleashed hell on my foes. Many at a time, they were cut down by sustained automatic rifle fire on my part. Some of the survivors attempted to flee but I simply mowed them down before they could get far. My gun quickly emptied the drum but I had several more drums worth of fun.

The firing lasted about five minutes. I could've unleashed more but all I had were three drums and five magazines of mutant gun ammo. However, five minutes was more than enough to finish those buggers off. I don't know how, but I just defeated a superior force of gun armed combatants with nothing more than C4 and an automatic rifle. For a moment, the thought of Rambo flowed through my mind.

Did I really just kill all sixty of them? There was no time to celebrate. Sooner or later the Razers would hear of this news and they would probably come after me. I quickly snapped a few photographs of them and took that mutant rifle home with me. And what about the plan to clear the boulders with C4 you say? Well I didn't have any C4 left after the ambush so it was temporarily delayed.


	8. Forest Fire

**Chapter 6**

 **Forest Fire**

That rifle I brought back was interesting to say the least. Not only was it a mutant of an AK and AR, but it was also machined. Yes, you heard me. MACHINED not hand fitted. Ever since I came here, I thought I was the only one who still had the technology to make machined and replicated objects and weapons but no, apparently that perception was wrong.

Those Razers had some serious firepower back there. Shotguns, rifles, carbines, automatics, you name it. I wouldn't want to fight them again, especially on their home turf. Out here in a land where they are unfamiliar with, I can easily route them and ambush them but on their home turf, the tables would turn very quickly. One misplaced bush or foliage, and they would know.

Since I had a captured firearm with me, I thought I'd do a little test firing to see if it was on par with my M4A1 Carbine and SA58 rifle. First group was at a range of ten meters to simulate close quarters engagements while the second was 73 meters away to simulate engagements at longer distances. At fifty meters, I noticed severe accuracy deficiency in the captured rifle, something I blamed on the bullets tumbling upon exiting the barrel. My M4A1 and SA58 could accurately score hits up to 500 yards or more when equipped with a scope, and if I was really good at shooting, I could hit with just plain old iron sights of both those rifles.

The engagement earlier gave me an insight on how the Razers worked. Unlike humans, they preferred their fights to occur as close as possible and thus, accuracy was not a big issue. When I was ambushed, I had caught them at distance so that's why they weren't hitting me. If I had been a little closer, I might've been dead. As for me mowing down Razers with the mutant rifle set to automatic fire mode. I had caught them at close range and like I said before, in flight ballistics wasn't really an issue.

In fact, it could be considered a good thing since tumbling bullets usually caused more serious injuries. But why did they tumble? Tests I've performed showed the twist rate in the barrel was mismatched with the bullet. The bullet I used was SS109 spec but the twist rate of the captured rifle's barrel was 1 in 12, which would've been more suited for the older M193 spec type of .223 cartridges. Ironically enough, I did some tests with a few captured cartridges and found they too were of SS109 spec.

Sometimes I wonder if the Razers would be a little smarter and just go with the older M193 spec type ammunition. It caused a more devastating wound upon impact, and would be more accurate when fired out of their rifles. In fact, I might even start using M193 spec cartridges if I could.

Suddenly, the early warning sensors blared once again. This time it was followed by the deployment of forcefields around my cabin and lab. What now? Were the Razers attacking us? I headed up, decked out in combat gear and carrying my M4A1 Carbine. There were no attackers, but there was fire, which was rapidly spreading amongst the now dried trees.

Previously forest fires were never a real threat to the Great Valley but that was because the trees were saturated with ground water. Now with everything dried up, the area was vulnerable to forest fires. I stepped on a leaf on the ground and it crumbled away, confirming my suspicion that the valley was dry. I needed to warn the residents immediately and I wasted no time running up to them.

Reaching towards my buttpack, I grabbed an Orion Flare gun and fired a red flare in the air. It was clearly visible even in daylight and when I arrived at the meeting place, the adults had gathered. They had gathered not because they had noticed the fires, but because they had noticed my flare. It did not matter however, all I needed was for them to be here so I could break the news.

 **"** **Fire, in the valley."** I shouted. **"Eastern and southern exits are a no go. We have to escape using the Northern and Western exits. Best bet would be to go north since the wind is blowing westwards."**

Littlefoot's grandmother cranes her head above the treeline and she too catches sight of the fire. No further words were needed for her to inform her husband and he proceeds to activate emergency escape plans. All residents both young and old are to gather together and escape through the northern entrance. An explosion suddenly tears through, catching everyone off guard.

My footlocker near the hammock where I slept was not covered by the forcefield and I had three grenades stored inside for "home defense". Amplifying the need to leave were the early warning sirens installed near my cabin. It was covered by the force field but it kept blaring since I had programmed it to do so. I fired a second flare into the air to rally the residents and was about to leave when Topsy confronted me.

 **"** **You've barely arrived here, and we're supposed to trust your words?"** he growled. **"The western exit is the closest to us."**

 **"** **But the wind is westbound!"** I rebutted. **"If we go westwards, there is a chance we might all fry together."**

 **"** **Exactly."** Littlefoot's grandfather backed me.

 **"** **Fine then, go north. Cera and I will go westwards."**

 **"** **You're a serious lunatic, Topsy."**

 **"** **Dad!"** Cera shouted. **"I'm choosing my own way to go, and I'm going north."**

 **"** **Cera, I am your father and I know what's best for you."**

Despite her father's yelling at her, Cera refused to follow him and she followed the rest of us out of the Great Valley. I swore I could hear a faint grumble behind me when we started our trek northwards. Halfway up, and Littlefoot's Grandfather made a sudden stop. A sense of duty had overcome him. He was turning back to save his former enemy from certain death.

Their differences mattered no more to the elderly male Apatosaurus. All he wanted right now was for everyone to be safe. He left our group and proceeded westwards while his wife led the way. Pretty soon the smoke got too thick for the adults to see. They passed over command to me but I figured it was time for Littlefoot to prove his worth as leader and I gave him command of the group.

He quickly devises a plan to navigate without the adults' sight. Everyone grabbed onto each other while the lead adult dinosaur(Ducky's Mother)followed me and the other young ones. We ran up the ledge and exited via the main entrance. All of us took a deep breath of fresh air and breathed a sigh of relief. We were in the clear and the fire was now behind us.

One thing still bothered Littlefoot's Grandmother however. Her husband had gone back for Topsy and he was still MIA as of now. Littlefoot nuzzled his grandmother, giving her some form of comfort. I on the other hand, began preparations for defense. Experience gained during my two year banishment had taught me a lot of things and one of them was that while predators usually avoided herds of dinosaurs, they would not hesitate to attack one which was in unfamiliar territory.

A M406 grenade was loaded into the underslung grenade launcher of my M4A1 carbine and the carbine itself had a fresh magazine loaded and a round chambered. The selector was set to semi and I was clutching my weapon in the low ready position. I position myself near a sharp corner, a blind spot for the herd members. Littlefoot and his friends gathered round to discuss the situation on their terms.

Just then, an uproar of cheers. Topsy and Littlefoot's Grandfather emerged from the blaze, shaken but unhurt. Everyone was now accounted for and we could begin discussing our next course of action. Discussion however, was not going to be easy. One look at the now devastated Great Valley and the adult dinosaurs lose their minds. They began talking amongst themselves with no one beginning talks for action. I was there in my defensive position, clutching my M4A1 and feeling frustrated. Then, my eyes catch sight of something. No it was someone. Three someones at that.


	9. Rescuing The Bullies

**Chapter 7**

 **Rescuing The Bullies**

What were Hyp and his cronies doing climbing on top of the ridge? Were they sneaking off after being "breathed on" by their parents? Or did they have other reasons? Whatever the case may be, I didn't pay too much attention to them. Right now my main concern were the adults and young children of the Great Valley. I was their main line and only line of security against gun armed threats like Razers.

To my left, Littlefoot and his gang of friends were chatting about something when they too noticed Hyp and his cronies sneaking away. Unlike me, they felt they needed to act and they went after him, much to my displeasure. Okay, if Littlefoot was going after them, then I'd better be there to route anyone who might turn them into grilled steak. I got up from my defensive position and slowly snuck away right under the adults' noses.

The young ones proved to be much more agile than I had anticipated. Despite only started a few seconds slower, I could barely catch up with either of them. Not good news when you consider the fact that predators might come in and ambush at any given time. A hiss caught my attention and the sound was quickly followed by a snapping noise, as if someone had just stepped on a fallen branch.

Inexperienced individuals might say the young ones had stepped on a fallen branch but the sound came from my right flank. Something or someone was tailing the young ones and I had to locate and eliminate them before they happened upon either the bullies or the young ones. With a flick of the selector to "Semi", I swung rightwards and began proceeding towards where I heard the sound, careful to use all forms of concealment.

* * *

 **Littlefoot:**

 _Hyp and the other bullies were faster than we had expected. We were barely able to keep up with them but we did. They took us through a swampy region of the area where bones and carcasses of dead dinosaurs were everywhere. Yes if you haven't noticed, I have started to pick up a few words my adoptive father used. I was at the tip of our gang, leading the way._

 _Beside me, Caz was our lookout. Behind the two of us were Patricia and Bruce, who were complaining about Cera's constant groaning. Couldn't blame them though, neither of them were longtime friends of Cera. A few minutes later, we found ourselves near an opening which we had to cross by hopping over studs in between. All of us had seen Hyp and his friends do it before and it didn't seem like too much of an issue. Well, Mutt did nearly fall off but still, he got his balance and made it safely._

 _Caz was the first to jump, followed by me. Patricia and Bruce were next and Bruce made the leap first while Patricia carried Ducky on her back before jumping. Petrie flew over after them with Spike crossing soon after. Cera, despite her supposed "bravery" was the last to cross. All of us made it to the other side without issue. No one slipped or fell to their doom. Now all we had to do was locate Hyp and his band of bullies._

 _When we found them, they were near a pool of dark blue, blackish water which reminded me of "liquid quicksand" dad told me about when he opened up about his adventures in the beyond._

 ** _"_** ** _Stop!"_** _I shouted._ _ **"That's not water!"**_

 ** _"_** ** _What is it then?"_** _Hyp sneered._ _ **"Your poop?"**_

 ** _"_** ** _Quicksand. Dad told me about it when he came back."_**

 ** _"_** ** _Riiight. The old man told you about it."_**

 _My attempts to stop him were in vain. He leapt into the blackish water and took a few gulps. He claimed that the water tasted funny and it didn't seem drinkable. OF COURSE it didn't seem drinkable, it's not even water! It's quicksand! Amusingly enough, he didn't even notice the liquid quicksand pulling him in until a few seconds later. The tug on his legs grew stronger and stronger and he realized my words were correct._

 _Like a "true bully" as dad called it, he screamed for help. His buddies never acted however, they just stood there and stared at him while he struggled to free himself. I had no choice left; if we wanted to rescue Hyp then I needed to take command of the rescue operation. I ordered my friends to assemble into a line along with Hyp's bullies. Once we got ahold of each other, Hyp would grab onto my neck and we would all begin tugging._

 _Our plan was to pull and either get him out or delay his sinking until the adults arrived._

 ** _"_** ** _On the count of three."_** _I shouted._ _ **"One, two, three!"**_

 _All of us tugged back, mustering every ounce of energy we had in our body. Hyp grabbed onto my neck as best as he can while we tried to free him from his sticky and watery grave. Thanks to combined effort and blessings from beyond, we pulled the leader of the bullies out of the quicksand and onto safety._

 _Barely a few seconds later, the adults arrived at the scene, having been drawn by Hyp's desperate cries for help. Oddly enough, my adoptive father was not among them._

 ** _"_** ** _Littlefoot."_** _Grandpa said to me._ _ **"The mysterious beyond is full of dangers. This is not the time for you to go exploring."**_

 ** _"_** ** _I know, Grandpa."_** _I said to him._ _ **"But we weren't out exploring. My friends and I saw Hyp and his friends run away so we followed them since we didn't want them to get into trouble."**_

 _My words cause Hyp's father to glare at his son. He began his rant, raising the volume of his voice higher and higher by the minute. At that moment Cera's Father realized that he had cared for his daughter wrongly. Ranting and being angry all the time was not going to work. Before he had no idea his way of raising Cera was wrong but now, having seen the reason for Hyp becoming a bully, he changed._

 _He apologized to his daughter and explained to Hyp's father how to properly, and I mean PROPERLY, raise a child. Love was crucial and sometimes, soft tones and careful selection of words were more effective than loud scolding and rants. Unfortunately for all of us, a pack of Velociraptors had spotted us, and they weren't the small kind._

 _These Velociraptors were nearly identical to Deinonychus in size and dad even gave them a new scientific name; Velociraptor Antirrhopus. They quickly surrounded us and extended their killing claws, ready to slaughter us in a bloodbath._


	10. Into The Fire

**Chapter 8**

 **Into The Fire**

 **Littlefoot:**

 _We thought we were all dead meat at this point. Those meat eaters had us surrounded and there was no way we could run. The adults formed a defensive line in front of us but the Velociraptors were not deterred. Instead, they snarled at us, giving us a clear look of their bloody, jagged, teeth. Just when all hope seemed lost, a human figure emerged on top of a ledge clutching an M4A1 Carbine in his hand._

 _He was my adoptive father Bryan, and he had been tailing those meat eaters for quite some time now. In a sudden twist of fight, he had caught them off guard._

* * *

Well well well, looks like I caught the buggers squarely in the sights of my M4A1 Carbine. No mercy on my part, just kill kill and kill some more. I placed my trigger finger onto the trigger of my carbine and began hammering, sending accurate semi auto carbine fire down range. Those Velociraptors were totally oblivious to my presence, and neither of them reacted quick enough to avoid my shots.

Several M885 5.56 caliber bullets penetrated one of them in the chest, killing it instantly. The two survivors decide to split up. While one of them dealt with me, the other would attack the adults. Heh, like that'll deter me. That bugger charged me at close range, preventing me from firing on it before it was on top of me. I blocked its clawed hands with my carbine and kicked it in the chest, sending it stumbling back.

A swift movement of the hand and my OKC-3S bayonet was drawn. It came at me once again but this time I deflected its claws with my left hand and stabbed it in the throat. When I withdrew the blade, blood sprayed out and splattered onto my face; I had just stabbed it in the carotid arteries. Threat neutralized, now to eliminate the bugger attacking the adults.

I swung my rifle towards the herd and noticed the adults struggling to deal with the surviving Velociraptor. It was moving too fast for them to hit it effectively and it was driving rings around the herd members. Here comes ole' Sharpshooter. I steadied my M4A1 Carbine and took aim with the ACOG Scope of the weapon.

 **"** **I am the reaper."** I muttered to myself.

 _BANG_

A 5.56 caliber bullet flew out of the barrel of my rifle and shrieked towards the Velociraptor. By some miracle, it struck the head of the bugger and it went down in a flash of an eye. Over and done with. Wait a second… That was way too easy. Why were there only three Velociraptors out here? Usually these buggers, along with their counterparts the Deinonychuses, come in packs of five to ten. Why were we only engaged by three?

I banged a new magazine into my carbine and scanned the area, hoping to locate whatever was driving the predators away. To my horror, a group of forty Razers were inbound to our location, probably drawn by the gunshots. Due to my actions before, I was most likely on their wanted list and if they ever made it here, I wouldn't be the only casualty.

All of them were packing serious firepower, a mix of mutant rifles and what appeared to be machine guns resembling a M60-M249 SAW hybrid. There was no way I could take them on in a frontal assault. Ambushing them was the only way and I figured I would yet again, launch another hasty ambush. Unlike last time, I wasn't in a forest and there was a whole lot less concealment for me to choose from.

To my right was a raised portion of land. On top of it was solid flat ground surrounded by low rocks. It was a natural firing position with ample cover and I ran up and prepared my ambush. Since I had no C4 left, I would initiate the ambush with either my M4A1 or my M203. Thanks to my interest in Military Tactics, I knew initiating an ambush like this with a M203 was a terrible idea.

The "Thump" made by a M203 when fired would alert the enemy to my position. I could initiate the ambush with my M4A1 Carbine since it was a closed bolt weapon system but the thirty round magazine was not ideal for sustained fire. God I wish I had brought that mutant rifle. Fortunately for me, there was an alternative. If I could get the adults dinosaurs to work together, I might be able to up the intensity of the ambush with the help of Mother Nature.

Raising my hand, I signaled Littlefoot's Grandfather and ordered him and the rest of the adults to gather whatever boulders they could find. Once that was done, I ordered them to perch those stones and rocks on top of high ground and wait. My plan was to wait for them to come into the kill zone, find the adults and I would fire my rifle once to initiate the ambush. That was the signal for them to unleash the rocks and kaput, the Razers would be crushed.

Everything was perfectly set, now all that was needed was the trigger objects. Those trigger objects were the Razers. Littlefoot's Grandfather and Topsy got into position behind the piles of boulders and prepared while the other adults formed a defensive line in front of their children in case things go south. We waited, and waited, and waited. Five to ten minutes later, the Razers came into sight and I took aim at the leader.

He spots the adults and raised his rifle, causing the rest of his men to do the same. Oh yeah, let's make some fucking grass grow.

 _BANG_

 _ZAP_

Down goes the lead fucker. That was just the appetizer, now for the main course. As soon as that sucker went down, Littlefoot's Grandfather and Topsy unleashed the rocks. There was no stopping them when they started rolling and the Razers could only scream in terror as they were crushed by tons of earth. Dust clouds filled the air, impairing our vision of the carnage.

 **"** **WOO!"** I shouted. **"Yeah bitch! Take that you motherfuckers!"**

This was the first time I had so much adrenaline pumping through me. Swearing was a habit I could not change and I only suppressed my urges. Now with adrenaline flowing through me, there was no need to suppress my urge to swear. We had just crushed a whole lot of them to death.

 _PING_

 _BANG BANG BANG_

Well I thought we had crushed them to death. Apparently there were a few survivors and they began firing at my position. I returned fire with my M4A1 Carbine and gave them a little Christmas present in the form of a M406 grenade fired out of my M203 grenade launcher. The exchange of fire intensified after the grenade explosion and I quickly found myself outgunned and outnumbered.

Then, they made a maneuver which horrified me. While two of them continued to keep pressure, two more swung towards the adults and began engaging them while one circled around to attack the young ones. Ain't nobody's attacking my son. I rose from my position and ran after the flanking Razer, firing my rifle at the Razers shooting me to keep their heads down.

On the way, I tackled both Razers attacking the adults onto the ground. I killed both with a shot to the head each. Two down, onto the next. Behind me, the Razers continued to hammer me with bullets but I ignored them and continued after the flanking Razer. He noticed me charging towards him and he drew his knife. However, he was caught off guard when I gave him a dose of Krav Maga. He was quickly disarmed and I stabbed him in the Carotid artery with my own bayonet.

Suddenly bullets whizzed over my head from behind and as I spun around, I felt a bullet impact my chest. A second gazed me in the right cheek while a third went through my left leg and came through the other side. I stumbled forwards and smacked against the ground. Never in my life had I ever been shot multiple times before and I was still reeling in from the pain.

* * *

 **Littlefoot:**

 _The minute I saw my adoptive father fall flat on the ground, I was shocked. I thought he was dead and tears began welling up in my eyes. Why? Why did life have to be so unfair to me? I've already lost a mother and now you're making me lose an adoptive father? The two approaching Razers trained their guns at us while the adults watched on helplessly. They knew if they did something rash and the Razers would unleash hell on us._

 ** _"_** ** _Your human protector is dead."_** _One of them said._ _ **"Show us the way to the Great Valley or your children die."**_

 ** _"_** ** _Why did you have to kill him?"_** _I cried._ _ **"He adopted me. He's my only parent left!"**_

 ** _"_** ** _Doesn't matter to us."_** _The other Razer said without an ounce of sympathy._ _ **"All we care about is our kind."**_

 ** _"_** ** _And don't expect him to rise."_** _The first raised the barrel of his pistol at Bryan's head._ _ **"Because I'm making sure he stays down with a bullet."**_

 _At that moment something overcame me and I charged towards both Razers, much to the horror of the adults. Both of them were caught off guard by my sudden maneuver and I tackled them to the ground. My friends came in to assist me and a struggle began between us and two of the Razers. The second Razer managed a few shots from his own pistol but Cera crushed the bones in his hands under her weight, causing him to release his grip on the weapon._

 _The first one remained feisty and he pistol whipped Caz in the face. Cera attempted to charge him but he struck her over the head as well. Patricia attempted to help but before she could swipe him with her tail the Razer had his gun pointed towards me. It looked like a .357 magnum revolver. He cocks the gun, making four distinct clicks as the hammer was pulled back._

 _I closed my eyes, ready to accept my fate._

 _BANG_

 _BANG BANG_


	11. Peace And Tolerance

**Chapter 9**

 **Tolerance And Peace Is Key**

 _Four Months Later…_

The Great Valley was had rejuvenated. Lush greenery was back, and the water had been unclogged. Water rationing which had been in place during the start of the crisis was gone, and everyone was free to drink and bath as they pleased. I was in my cabin, enjoying some old country music and just reading a copy of "Lone Survivor" to relax. Science work was put off at the moment. Truth be told, I now held a high ranking position in the newly established Great Valley High Council.

After the Razer attacks, everyone realized the need for a better defense and leadership. Littlefoot's Grandfather had plenty of experience when it came to leadership, but he had no idea how to set up defenses. Originally the Great Valley's line of defense were the ridgelines and canyons surrounding it but now we knew it wasn't enough. That's why he hired me to be the defense advisor.

My original plan called for a professional army but since we had a serious lack in humanoids, I scrapped that idea in favor of a simpler idea. We just had to fortify the walls and entrances and hope for the best. I also made sure everyone in the valley was combat ready, even the young ones. As I continued reading, something on the table caught my attention. It was my Sphinx SDP pistol, which was loaded. Although I had fired the weapon multiple times, I only fired it once in anger.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. A young Amargasaurus greeted me when I answered the door.

 **"** **What is it, Caz?"** I asked.

 **"** **Have you forgotten about that speech?"** he raised an eyebrow. **"It's almost time sir."**

 **"** **Let me change my outfit first."**

Ah, Caz. Littlefoot's Grandfather had employed him to be my personal reminder since he was small enough to get in and out of my cabin without squeezing. I donned military style clothes but I left the load bearing vest and Rhodesian Rig in favor of a battle belt. Worn underneath my MARPAT ACU was a concealed plate carrier which contained threat level IV body armor. Weapon wise, I carried my SA58, known affectionately as my patrol rifle and a new handgun, a Sig Sauer P226 Legion which I had replicated.

Why did I switch handguns? Because I figured my Sphinx would be a house gun and artifact. A reminder of the early days of confrontation with the Razers. I was all set for the talk and I followed Caz towards the meeting place. They had a raised podium ready so I could have an elevated position to speak on. Ole' Gramps was gave an opening speech and then, my turn came.

This was the first time I had given a speech to the residents and naturally I was a bit nervous. Still I pushed myself and thought about something calming while I spoke. If you're wondering what the title was, it's "Peace And Tolerance".

 **"** **Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. The Great Valley is a wonderful place to live in. We have lusher greenery than any other place on this planet, and we have free flowing fresh water to enjoy, every day. That being said, we must be reminded that peace comes with a price. Just because we have walls to prevent predators from coming in, does not mean they won't. Sooner or later they'll find a breach and they'll come in to do harm. With that in mind, I've fortified the entrances and the walls and there are now turrets on all four entrances, programmed to target all predators who dare to enter. As for the internals and our way of life, we must remember that tolerance is the most important thing in keeping our valley safe. One thing the forest fires taught us is that we are all born equal and that we are nothing more than mortal beings. Infighting and racism will not get us anywhere, in fact, it might destroy the Great Valley as we know it. It doesn't matter if you have long necks, horns in your face, spikes on your back, duck bill like mouths, wings, clubs for tails, whatever. No matter the species, at the end of the road, we are just living beings. No one is smarter or dumber than the other. We all have our strengths and weaknesses and we must work together if we want to live our lives more efficiently and peacefully. We are one, we are the residents of the Great Valley."**

An uproar came from the residents I finished my speech. I smiled and looked around, catching sight of a youngling winking back at me. I kindly return the gesture in response and I walked down from the podium before moving to greet him.

* * *

 **Slowly, the scene fades away and transitions to blackness.**

 _ **BANG**_

 _ **BANG BANG**_

 **Two gunshots ring, and the scene fades into view. Littlefoot opens his eyes, surprised that he wasn't shot by the Razer. He checks himself but finds no wounds. Looking around, he spots his adoptive father with his Sphinx SDP raised. Despite being shot three times, Bryan managed to push himself and shoot the surviving Razer, who was now mortally wounded with two bullets in his chest. He stumbles back and fires his .357 Magnum revolver wildly in the air once before collapsing, the live drained from his body.**

 **Littlefoot helps his adoptive father back onto his feet and the two leave the water channel where the final battle had taken place along with the rest of the younglings.**

 **"Wait." the male human said. "We still have some unfinished business."**

 **He swings around and fires a M406 grenade out of his M203 grenade launcher, blowing the boulders in the channel sky high and freeing the trapped water. Thousands of gallons of water begin flowing down the once dried up channel bed. At the end, it flows down into the valley via the thundering falls, reoccupying the dried up rivers and extinguishing fires along the way. More good news came. While the fire had destroyed most of the lush vegetation, there were still some left. It was enough for all, if they shared that is.**


End file.
